View full sizeNicholas Lisi / Post-Standard file photoA view of the Carrier Dome crowd early in the first quarter during SU's home opener against Wake Forest.

Tracking commentary and opinion from around Central New York, the state and nation:

Monday's Topic: Treatment of SU sports fans

Syracuse University sports fan Will Thomas of East Syracuse blows off some steam about how fans are treated in a letter to the editor in today's Post-Standard. Here's his letter, and his suggestions to SU about how it can improve the fan experience:

How about this, Syracuse University: Instead of hiring a marketing group to boost ticket sales, maybe you can do it on your own. You want to know how? First of all, try treating your “core” season ticket holders with some respect!

You can start by apologizing to the season ticket holders you forced out of their seats in Section 306-307 during the Rutgers game, who have had seats there for years. Then you told them they no longer have those seats any more.

What about the fan base you abandoned by going to the ACC, and now talk about moving some home football and basketball games to New York City and New Jersey. Do you think moving some games down there will generate more ticket sales? That makes me want to go out and renew my tickets right away.

Secondly, get better food. Who wants to pay $4 for a burnt, wrinkled hot dog, or $5 for a grease-laden pizza? How about some chicken fingers, french fries, etc.? Look at the menu for the HSBC arena in Buffalo, for example.

Lower beer and soda prices — there should be no reason to charge people $6 for dome foam and $3.50 for a soda.

Third, you might want to have a meeting with all your students. You gave SU and SUNY ESF students free admission to the Rutgers game, and you could barely fill the student section. Remember those season ticket holders you kicked out of their seats for all the student overflow, and that section was completely empty. So sad!

You need to figure out why. Here is an idea: Give them free admission to all games since they pay so much to go there anyway.

Lastly, parking is bad and is too expensive. How about charging $5 at any lot or parking garage owned by SU instead of $10 to $30? Don’t get me started on season parking passes — you charge as much for them as you do for season tickets. Crazy!

When it costs a family of four $250 or more for a couple hours, they will do something else instead. If you lower the overall cost for people to go the game (for tickets, food and parking) they will come.

Are you listening, Nancy Cantor and Daryl Gross, or are you too money-hungry?

Thank you for listening me vent as a current season ticket holder to basketball and usher for SU games.